Oxidation of Aromatic Aldehydes Using OxoneRajani Gandhari, Padma P. Maddukuri, and Thottumkara K. VinodDescribes an eco-friendly procedure for the oxidation of aldehydes to carboxylic acids in water or a water-ethanol mixture using Oxone as the oxidant. The use of eco-friendly solvents, a non-toxic reagent, and the elimination of extraction solvents in the procedure demonstrate important green chemistry themes to students.Gandhari, Rajani; Maddukuri, Padma P.; Vinod, Thottumkara K. J. Chem. Educ.2007, 84, 852.

Developing Critical Thinking Skills: The "Sabotaged" Synthesis of Methyl p-BromobenzoateEric J. Mahan and Mary Alice NadingBefore beginning an experiment, students are told that someone might have sabotaged their experiment to produce other-than-expected results. The objective is to perform the experiment, determine if any sabotage has occurred, and, if so, identify the changes that were made to the reagents as well as the person responsible.Mahan, Eric J.; Nading, Mary Alice. J. Chem. Educ.2006, 83, 1652.